Pair Poker

In a standard game of poker, a ‘pair’ refers to a hand containing two cards of the same rank, plus three other different cards of other ranks. For example: If you have two kings, and three other different cards, it’s called a pair of kings. The rank of the cards determine the strength of a ‘pair’ hand; a pair of aces will always trump over a pair of kings.

In the popular poker variants like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, a pair can be formed using a combination of the hole cards that you are dealt and the community cards that open up on the table. If more than one player has a pair at the table, then the higher ranked pair wins the game. If two players have the same pair of cards of the same rank, then the winner is determined by using the ‘kicker’ card (the highest ranked card the player holds outside of the pair).

For example: A pair of kings with an ace kicker will beat a pair of kings with a queen kicker.

A pair is a very good base hand from where you can build towards stronger hand combinations. If you are already holding a pair in your hole cards or on the flop, then there is a possibility to build that into a ‘Two Pair’, ‘Three of a Kind’ or even ‘Four of a Kind’.

Example of Pair in Poker

In poker, pairs are always ranked based on the value of the cards in them. Below is the list of all the pairs from the strongest to the weakest:

1. A A: Pair of Aces is the strongest.
2. K K: Kings is the second highest pair.
3. QQ: Queens are ranked third.
4. J J: Jacks or Fish Hooks come in fourth.
5. 10 10: Tens or T’s as they are known, sit in fifth place.
6. 9 9: Nines are the sixth highest pair.
7. 8 8: Pair of Eights make it seventh in the list.
8. 7 7: Sevens are in eighth spot.
9. 6 6: A pair of sixes are ranked ninth.
10. 5 5: Fives are in tenth place.
11. 4 4: Fours come in eleventh place.
12. 3 3: A weak pair in twelfth, unless you can take it up to ‘Three of a Kind’.
13. 2 2: The weakest possible pair to have.

How to Use Pair as Part of Your Poker Strategy?

In No Limit Hold’em games, having one pair at showdown might just win you the pot, but it’s not a very strong hand and players have to be careful when going for bigger pots. If the opponent is betting big, then it is less likely that a single pair is going to be the winning hand.

Therefore, as a beginner or even a slightly more experienced player, you should pay attention to the kicker card, especially with higher pairs. Aces can be particularly tricky to understand for beginners, since they over value highly ranked cards. If your Aces are paired with a 2 or a 5, you are in a very vulnerable position of being kicked out.

Always remember, that a single pair is usually strong on dry boards, where there is less chance of straights or flushes. On the other hand, if a straight draw or flush draw is happening on the flop, it is best to fold your paired hand.

But, pairs can also lead to bigger hands – Two Pair, Three of a Kind or Four of a Kind. If any of these hands are forming on the flop, then it is best to bet at a medium pace to make the opponents put more money in the pot.

Conclusion

In poker variants like Pot Limit Omaha, where each player gets four, five or six cards depending on the PLO variant, it is very easy to get pairs. Hence, it is undervalued in PLO games.

Single pairs are unlikely to take you very far in a game of poker, but if your pairs are building up to a bigger hand, then you can bet more and chances are you will win more.